Between explaining his reasons for tossing out Kim Kardashian‘s clothes to comparing himself to Steve Jobs, this NYT feature on Kanye is interview gold.
The Yeezus promotional train rumbles on ahead of the album’s release next week. Kanye sat down New York Times writer Jon Caramanica to dispense nuggets of typical Yeezy wisdom. Yeezy’s on top interview form here: self-aggrandizing to the nth degree, startling insightful and then just plain fucking weird. You can read the whole thing here, but we’ve taken our pick of the choicest quotes.
1. He really wasn’t being mean about Kim Kardashian‘s wardrobe when he chucked out all her clothes on the show
“That was from a place of love.”
2. He does, however, remember all of his outfits
“I guess it’s a very pop moment of a lifetime or generation. […] When you think about it, I was wearing like, a Juicy Couture men’s polo shirt. We weren’t there, like, ready for war.”
3. Note that he also likes nice things
“I am in the lineage of Gil Scott-Heron, great activist-type artists. But I’m also in the lineage of a Miles Davis — you know, that liked nice things also.”
4. But he’s not vain, honestly
“The idea of Kanye and vanity are like, synonymous. But I’ve put myself in a lot of places where a vain person wouldn’t put themselves in. Like what’s vanity about wearing a kilt?”
5. Just like us, he’s had his wardrobe regrets
“[On his outfits from five years ago] Kill self. That’s all I have to say. Kill self.”
6. And you know what? He’s learnt luxury ain’t all that
“I don’t believe that it’s luxury to go into a store and not be able to afford something. I believe luxury is to be able to go into a store and be able to afford something.”
7. I mean, this is the guy who created black new wave
“[808s & Heartbreak] was the first, like, black new wave album. I didn’t realize I was new wave until this project. Thus my connection with [the graphic designer] Peter Saville, with Raf Simons, with high-end fashion, with minor chords. I hadn’t heard new wave! But I am a black new wave artist.”
8. But now that Steve Jobs is dead, Yeezy will become the “Steve of Internet”
“I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.”
9. … And also the Steve of everything else
“I’ve been connected to the most culturally important albums of the past four years, the most influential artists of the past ten years. You have like, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, Nicolas Ghesquière, Anna Wintour, David Stern.”
10. And for the record, about that Taylor interruption?
“I don’t have one regret.”
Yeezus is out on 18th June.